Lakeside daisy (Hymenoxys herbacea) COSEWIC assessment and update update status report: chapter 10

Evaluation and Proposed Status

Existing Legal Protection or Other Status

Summary – Hymenoxysherbacea presently has no legal status or formal protection in Canada. It is considered very rare (G2, S2) by the National Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) at the global and provincial level (Oldham, 1999).

International Status – In 1988, H. herbacea was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Federally threatened species and is protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In addition, the species has been listed as Endangered in Ohio since 1980. A recovery plan has been prepared for the U.S. populations (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1990), which proposes reestablishment of the species in Illinois. It is ranked globally imperiled (G2) by the Association for Biodiversity Information (2001).

National Status – In Canada, H. herbacea receives no legal protection, although it appears on the rare species list for Canada (Argus and Pryer, 1990).

Provincial Status – In Ontario, H. herbacea receives no legal protection, although it appears on the rare species list for Ontario (White and Maher, 1983; Oldham, 1999). By the NHIC, H. herbacea is ranked S2 (Oldham, 1999). 

Assessment of Status and Authors' Recommendation

Hymenoxys herbacea is a Great Lakes endemic species found in Canada along the southern shore of Manitoulin Island and the north shore of the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario. It has a limited and narrowly defined habitat, restricted to alvars and Great Lakes shoreline. Locally, however, it is abundant and may represent one of the most numerous spring flowering perennials present in its habitat. The demographic characteristics of two populations have been monitored in detail, and both were found to be declining in size (multiplication rates < 1). However, there was no detectable difference in the number of inflorescences within populations found on the Bruce Peninsula over two successive years. The two populations monitored closely for changes in population size are found within National Park boundaries suggesting that even populations considered "protected" are at risk of declining in size. Less is known about the populations of Manitoulin Island but, in general, these populations are larger than the populations on the Bruce Peninsula. One must recognize that the nature preserves have other uses above and beyond that of diversity preservation. Much of this land is used for eco-tourist purposes as it is ideal for trails (less need to clear and make paths in alvars). With increasing public interest in nature and growing human populations, continued vigilance will be required by conservationists and land managers to assure the permanent protection of the unique alvar habitats and H. herbacea populations.  Further, many of the populations found on Manitoulin Island exist on privately owned land, which could potentially be developed for gravel extraction or cottages. 

Based on this assessment, H. herbacea is proposed for COSEWIC listing as a threatened species in Canada.

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